Last Updated on June 2, 2023 by Alex Birkett
With so many new products and advancements in the AI field, choosing the best AI image generator for you may seem overwhelming at first.
What’s an AI image generator?
Which one is good for beginners? Developers? Expert AI artists?
Can I earn money from making AI generated art? How can I use it with my available devices?
In this article, we will answer all these questions and give you a rundown of what we think are these year’s best AI image generator tools.
What is an AI image generator?
An AI art generator leverages artificial intelligence to create new and original images.
It’s a new technology for AI artists to produce high-quality photorealistic images using text prompts to create original art.
It uses several neural networks and text-to-image processing that scans multiple databases to come up with an image that matches text descriptions called prompts.
Prompts are detailed texts, or even images, that may include your references, background, art styles, and more.
Are AI image generators a threat to existing artists?
The boom of AI image generators may come off as a threat to existing artists but this should not be the case.
Despite the fact that a computer does most of the job, it would not be triggered without humans giving commands.
Also, great masterpieces involve delicate decision-making and emotions, which are things that AI cannot do nor have.
Instead of fearing these innovations, artists may see this as an opportunity to find inspiration for their next great craft.
Why a good prompt matters
Good prompts matter because it is the only thing that the AI image generator uses as a reference.
Especially for text-to-image tools, prompts need to be very specific and leave no room for interpretation so you can avoid surprises in your finished AI art.
If you need help coming up with good prompts, try out this free Prompt Builder: promptoMANIA prompt builder.
5 reasons you should try an AI tool to generate images
You may now already know what an AI image tool is, but why should you use it? Here are some reasons why many people are getting into the AI art bandwagon:
- Inspiring results – it may surprise you what AI can come up with, so go ahead and try your hand at it!
- Eliminate copyright issues – since no one can copyright any AI art as of now, you can say goodbye to claiming rights or paying royalties for some similar artworks (note that this shouldn’t be a reason for you to plagiarize fellow artists’ works!)
- Accessible – whether on a web browser, mobile, or tablet, you can create your very own AI art
- Beginner-friendly – most AI tools are straightforward enough that any beginner can use it instantly
- Faster image creation – instead of spending hours trying to come up with your next great art, you only need minutes for the AI generator tool to finish your AI generated images.
The 9 Best AI Image Generators in 2023
Nowadays, there are lots of AI art tools available (both free and paid). Below, we’ve narrowed down the best ones in the market to help you decide which one is the best for you!
- CF Spark
- Japer Art
- Midjourney
- DALL-E 2
- Nightcafe
- StarryAI
- Canva AI Art
- Photosonic
- Fotor
1. CF Spark
If you’re a beginner, then this AI image generator from Creative Fabrica is the perfect choice for you.
It has a straightforward interface and unlimited free image creation, and you can easily use it by typing in your prompt, test different prompts and the tool will create multiple results for you. It is also well known for having a community of AI creators who share images they’ve generated through the tool.
Creative Fabrica really helps you to spark your creativity, they are well known within the craft community and provide inspirational resources for creativity projects.
Key features:
- Prompt book
- Upcoming earning model
- DIfferent image ratios
- AI artist Community
- Free
Pricing
CF Spark is completely free with unlimited image creations.
Note that you can only create one image at a time and that they enforce a queueing system when generating AI art, so you may need to wait for your finished product.
If you want to create multiple AI images quicker and simultaneously, you can purchase speed credits by getting a Spark subscription for $9/month.
2. Jasper Art
From being just a well-known AI text generator, Jasper has now expanded its services to creating AI art. Simply sign up for the platform and input your prompt to use it.
Jasper gives you solid guardrails for your prompts, so it’s easy to get started as a beginner. If you want to write your text to image prompts free form, they also allow that. This way you can experience both ease of use as well as high customizability. This one is slowly becoming my favorite AI image creator as they optimize and test new models.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a free trial as of now, but the subscription starts at only $20/month.
Key features:
- Combine different art styles and references
- Multi-lingual prompts
- In-app writing assistant
- Prompt templates
- Support chat
Pricing
You can get unlimited Jasper Art images with only $20/month.
The full suite of AI content writing tools starts at $24/mo (Boss Mode, with the powerful free form editor and command features, starts at $49/mo).
3. Midjourney
Midjourney AI art can help turn your creative visions into reality.
It functions pretty much the same as other generator tools. By using a neural network and referencing the text in the prompt builder, it will create an AI artwork for you. It is also most known for creating high-quality images that look like they’ve been made by existing human artists.
Key features
- Generate images with a simple command and text prompt
- Beta version that you can join via Discord
- Free AI art generator (trial version) with up to 25 image creations
Pricing
Midjourney has multiple subscription plans that fit any of your needs. They start at $10/month and can go up to $600/year. They also have a free trial period with limited image credits so you can get a feel for the tool before buying a subscription.
4. DALL-E 2
Known for getting data from stock images, DALL-E (by OpenAI, the creators of GPT-3) is ideal for commercial use.
It is also recognized as the most advanced generator tool since developers can use its API to create their own image generator tool.
The only catch is that you need an invitation in order to access the tool for free. But don’t fret, soon they’ll make DALL-E available to the general public.
Key features:
- Inpainting feature
- Text-to-image and image-to-image capabilities
- Edit and enhance options
Pricing
People can join the waitlist now to access the tool. For those lucky enough to get invited, they will get free credits that refill every month. But, they can purchase more credits for only $15/month.
5. Nightcafe
Known for having more algorithms and features than other AI tools, Nightcafe is one of the most popular AI generator tools available. For example, you can take ownership of your generated images through the platform. This is a unique feature since most AI art cannot be copyrighted.
Key features:
- Earning model through credit
- AI video generation
- AI artist community
- Enhance, evolve, or duplicate options
Pricing
Nightcafe is generally free. And you’ll get five image creation capabilities per day. If you’d like to get more, you can get a subscription that starts at $9.99/month.
6. StarryAI
StarryAI is a generator tool that’s unique because it only comes as a mobile app. With this, it is incredibly convenient as you can generate AI art wherever and whenever your creativity strikes you!
Key features:
- iOs and Android compatible
- AI art into NFTs
Pricing
StarryAI is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. You can also generate up to 5 AI images without paying for anything. If you’d like more credits, you can purchase more credits starting at $15.99.
7. Canva AI Art
From starting out as a graphic design platform, Canva has now opened its doors to AI art generation. This is a smart move for the platform since any user with an existing Canva account can use this tool.
However, the tool is still in beta, so expect new changes soon.
Key features:
- Create AI images according to style, size, and resolution
- Save your finished output in various file formats
- Built-in additional enhancing features
- Include stock photos
Pricing
Just like Canva’s other offerings, its AI generator is free to use as long as you have an account with their platform. If you’d like to avail of their Canva Pro, prices start at $12.99.
8. Photosonic
Perfect for bloggers and content creators, Photosonic (by Writesonic, another great AI copywriting tool) can easily spruce up video thumbnails or social media posts without the need for extensive tutorials.
It also supports both text-to-image and image-to-image processing, making it easy to use even if creating AI art is not your forte. The only downside is that the generated images have a watermark that you can’t easily remove.
Key features:
- Convert pre-made images to AI art
- Free to use
- Image enhancement capabilities
Pricing
Photosonic is free to use and you get 15 credits, which you can use to create 5 AI images. If you’d like more, you can get 100 credits for $10/month or unlimited credits for $25/month.
9. Fotor
Fotor is another AI image generator that’s perfect for creating NFTs. In fact, you can easily choose from the templates available on the platform, generate your AI image, export your NFT, and earn money by selling it on any NFT art marketplace.
Key features:
- Image enhancer capabilities
- image-to-image processing
- Background and watermark removal (through a paid subscription)
- Color grading or splashing
Pricing
Like other AI generator tools, Fotor is free to use, but you can also avail its Pro packages starting at $8.99/month.
Conclusion
I’m a big fan of AI image generators and think they’re an incredible tool for creativity. Whether you’re a blogger looking for new blog images or a novelist looking to imagine the world you’ve created with your words, AI generated art has a lot of utility.
Plus, it’s just pretty darn cool that you can create good art with just text to image prompts.
Now that you’ve gone through our deep-dive into all things AI art generators, we hope that you’ve finally decided on the best AI art tool for you. There are others as well, such as Stable Diffusion (an open source mode). And there will be many more text to image AI tools in the future, including prompt to art tools that create entire websites. We’re just getting started.
Exploring the new world of generating AI images is fun and exciting, so remember to keep an open mind and look at other AI artists’ works to find overflowing inspiration from people who share the same passion as you!
Do you think there’s an AI image generator tool that should have made our list? Let us know by leaving a comment below.